Apparatus and method for discharge and comminution of a chip

ABSTRACT

In order to minimize the maintenance effort that accompanies discharge and comminution of a chip, an apparatus for discharge and comminution of a chip has a chip guide and a comminution apparatus, to which the chip guide guides the chip along a chip path. The chip guide has a guide channel that circumferentially surrounds the chip path having a channel inlet and a channel outlet, wherein the guide channel has a maintenance opening in addition to the channel inlet and the channel outlet. Furthermore, a method for discharge and comminution of a chip for this purpose services the guide channel by way of the maintenance opening after discharge and comminution of a chip having a predetermined chip length.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicant claims priority under 35 U.S.C. §119 of German Application No.10 2014 011 002.8 filed Jul. 29, 2014, the disclosure of which isincorporated by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to an apparatus for discharge and comminution of achip, having a chip guide and a comminution apparatus, to which the chipguide guides the chip along a chip path. The chip guide has a guidechannel that circumferentially surrounds the chip path having a channelinlet and a channel outlet. Furthermore, the invention relates to amethod for discharge and comminution of a chip, wherein the chip isguided in a guide channel along a chip path to a comminution apparatus,with which the chip is comminuted.

2. Description of the Related Art

Apparatuses and methods of the aforementioned type are particularly usedin welding of pipes in what are called pipe welding systems. Pipewelding systems are used for the production of pipes welded with alongitudinal seam, wherein plates or—as an alternative—steel stripswound up into coils serve as the raw material. The coils are unwound andstraightened in the strip preparation unit. Subsequently, the strip endsare cut off and welded to one another. This process is done in atransverse welding machine. In order for the entire pipe welding systemnot to have to be shut down during the welding process in the transversewelding machine, a spiral strip storage unit is used, which is filledwith steel strip and continuously feeds the subsequent machines. Afterthe spiral strip storage unit, the strip is guided into the stripforming unit, which consists of a pre-forming region and a formingregion. In the pre-forming region, the strip edges are bent and thestrip is slowly formed to be round. In the forming segment, generallyconsisting of three blade frames, the strip edges are brought togetherprecisely, until they are finally pressed together and welded in thewelding frame. In order to be able to remove the welding burr or weldingchip that occurs during welding, immediately or as quickly as possible,outer burr removers are used. These devices use a scraping tool toremove the chip from the finished, welded pipe, by scraping it off. Forwelding, an inductive press-welding method with high-frequency currentsis used, for example.

Apparatuses and methods of the type indicated above are known, forexample, from EP 1 238 736 A1 and U.S. Pat. No. 8,123,106 B2, and areintended for discharging the scraped-off or removed chip and comminutingit, wherein a chip guide is provided for discharging or guiding thechip, which guide has a guide channel that circumferentially surroundsthe chip path.

Because the scraped-off or discharged chip generally has very sharpedges and can have a temperature of up to 800° C., the guide channelthat surrounds the chip path circumferentially offers effectiveprotection against injuries.

In particular due to the circumstance that the discharged or scraped-offchip has very sharp edges and is very hot, regular maintenance of theapparatus for discharge and comminution of the chip is required after acertain period of use.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is the task of the present invention to minimize the maintenanceeffort that accompanies discharge and comminution of a chip.

In this connection, the invention proceeds from the fundamentalrecognition or fundamental idea of minimizing the maintenance effort bymeans of suitable structural and process technology measures. Proceedingfrom this fundamental idea or fundamental recognition, apparatuses fordischarge and comminution of a chip and a method for discharge andcomminution of a chip, having the characteristics in accordance with theinvention are proposed as concrete solutions. Further advantageousembodiments are found below.

An apparatus for discharge and comminution of a chip has a chip guideand a comminution apparatus, to which the chip guide guides the chipalong a chip path. The chip guide has a guide channel thatcircumferentially surrounds the chip path having a channel inlet and achannel outlet. In this apparatus, the guide channel has a maintenanceopening, in addition to the channel inlet and the channel outlet, inorder to minimize the maintenance effort that accompanies discharge andcomminution of a chip.

By means of providing a maintenance opening, the maintenance effort thataccompanies discharge and comminution of a chip can be significantlyminimized in that the interior of the guide channel does not have to beserviced, in complicated manner, in that maintenance can take place onlyby way of the channel inlet or channel outlet. Maintenance of the chipguide or of the guide channel can particularly be required if cloggingof the channel by the chip comes about, for example as the result ofnon-uniform chip removal and an accompanying, corresponding movement ofthe removed chip. Access can be significantly improved by way of anadditional opening, and the maintenance effort is correspondinglyminimized as a result.

Furthermore, by providing the maintenance opening, maintenance thatencompasses replacement of wear parts or replacement of a scraping toolcoupled with the apparatus can also be carried out in simple andpractical manner. As a result of the maintenance opening provided inaddition to the channel inlet and the channel outlet, not only ismaintenance carried out simply and practically, but also, cumulativelyor alternatively, the maintenance effort for the apparatus is minimizedsignificantly.

A chip guide and a comminution apparatus are provided, wherein the chipguide guides the chip along a chip path, to the comminution apparatus.In this connection, the chip path is understood to be the track curve ofa point imagined to be in a fixed location with a chip section of thedischarged chip. In this regard, the configuration of this track curveparticularly depends on the movement direction and movement speed withwhich the removed chip enters into the guide channel by way of thechannel inlet, on the inherent material tension of the chip, as well ason the manner in which a blade or scraper removes the chip. A furthertechnical characteristic that influences the configuration of the trackcurve is, of course, also the chip guide or the configuration of theguide channel that circumferentially surrounds the chip path.

Viewed in total, the maintenance effort that accompanies discharge andcomminution of a chip can be minimized by using the above apparatus,based on what has been explained above, because providing a maintenanceopening represents a suitable structural measure for minimizing themaintenance effort.

Any desired comminution apparatus can be provided as a comminutionapparatus for comminution of the chip, which apparatus is set up forcomminuting the discharged chip. In particular, the comminutionapparatus can comprise an actuator mechanism by way of which a severingelement connected with the actuator mechanism can be moved to the chip,in order to sever a chip section or a chip piece from the chip, by wayof the severing effect of the severing element. In this connection, thesevering element can be configured, in particular, in the form of asevering blade or shearing tool.

Preferably, the maintenance opening can be closed off by way of acovering. The maintenance opening can be closed off in practical andsimple manner by way of a covering, and thereby exiting of the chip outof the guide channel, by way of the maintenance opening, can be excludedduring its discharge and comminution. Because the discharged chipgenerally has very sharp edges and can have a temperature of up to 800°C., work safety during discharge and comminution of the chip can besignificantly increased by providing the closable covering.

In particular, the covering can be configured as a flap or slide, forexample as a rotational slide, or also as a door or insert part that canbe inserted into the maintenance opening.

Particularly preferably, the covering, preferably the flap, completesthe guide channel in the closed state, to form a guide channel thatcircumferentially surrounds the chip path, which brings about a simplestructure and—with a suitable design—also a wall of the guide channelthat is as smooth as possible and free of edges. In this way, a guidechannel can advantageously be made available, in the closed state, whichis configured in the form of a guide channel that circumferentiallysurrounds the chip path, thereby making very effective guidance ordischarge of the chip possible in spite of the advantageous maintenanceopening that is present.

It is advantageous if the maintenance opening extends over the entirelength of the guide channel. As a result of the expanse provided overthe entire length of the guide channel, a maintenance opening designedto be correspondingly long can be made available, thereby making itpossible to minimize the maintenance effort to a high degree, because ofthe accompanying improved accessibility.

Preferably, the guide channel can comprise a wall composed of atemperature-resistant and/or wear-resistant material. The chip guide orthe guide channel is provided for guiding or passing the scraped-offchip or the scraped-off endless chip to the comminution apparatus. Thescraped-off chip generally has very sharp edges and has a temperature upto 800° C., so that it moves or is pushed along the wall of the guidechannel, all the way to the comminution apparatus, in this state. Inorder to withstand these stresses, the guide channel preferablycomprises a wall composed of a temperature-resistant and/orwear-resistant material. In particular, the channel walls canparticularly preferably consist, at least in part, of 31CrMoV9, for thispurpose, and can also be nitrided, at least in part. Thus, the materialcan particularly have a surface hardness of more than HV 650.

An apparatus for discharge and comminution of a chip, having a chipguide and a comminution apparatus, to which the chip guide guides thechip along a chip path, wherein the chip guide has a guide channel thatcircumferentially surrounds the chip path, having a channel inlet and achannel outlet, can also be characterized in that the comminutionapparatus comprises a severing element disposed on a replacement module,in order to minimize the maintenance effort that accompanies dischargeand comminution of a chip.

By means of providing a comminution apparatus having a severing elementdisposed on a replacement module, replacement of the severing elementprovided for comminution of the chip can be implemented in simple andpractical manner, thereby making it possible to significantly minimizethe maintenance effort that accompanies replacement of the severingelement—which can particularly be configured in the form of a severingblade. In this connection, a replacement module is understood to be amodule or a device that can be removed from the comminution apparatus ordisassembled and taken off it, and also can be affixed to thecomminution apparatus again or installed on it. For this purpose,releasable shape-fit connections of any kind, such as, for example,formed-on parts and/or screw connections that are accommodated, withshape fit, in correspondingly configured accommodations, canparticularly be provided. Preferably, removal or disassembly or takingoff can preferably take place without disassembly of other modules; ifnecessary, the maintenance opening must be opened for this purpose.

In a state in which the replacement module is removed or disassembledfrom the comminution apparatus, the severing element—if it has asuitable design—can be removed from the replacement module in simple andpractical manner, for the sake of replacement, because of theinstallation space that can be made available as a result of thedisassembly or removal. The severing element can be affixed to thereplacement module by way of a releasable screw connection, for example,for this purpose.

Minimizing the maintenance effort for replacement of the severingelement in the manner described above is very advantageous as a resultof the great mechanical stress on the severing element for comminutionof the chip, because the great mechanical stress particularly leads toblunting and makes frequent replacement of the severing elementnecessary.

Preferably, the comminution apparatus comprises two severing elementsthat act in severing manner with one another, both of which are disposedon the replacement module. By means of providing two severing elementsthat act in severing manner with one another, very effective andoperationally reliable comminution of the chip can be implemented bymeans of severing chip sections or chip pieces of the chip.

In a practical embodiment, the severing element is disposed on acarriage disposed so as to move in a carriage accommodation, and thecarriage can be moved out of the carriage accommodation.

Disposing the severing element on a carriage disposed so as to move in acarriage accommodation, wherein the carriage can be moved out of thecarriage accommodation, allows replacement of the severing elementdisposed on the carriage in simple and practical manner. For example,first, the carriage, along with the severing element, is moved out ofthe carriage accommodation, and subsequently, the severing element isremoved or taken off the carriage for the purpose of replacing it with asevering element that preferably has the same construction or preferablyhas essentially the same construction. In this connection, the placementof the severing element on the carriage can particularly be such thatthe severing element is connected with the carriage by way of at leastone screw connection, so that for simple replacement of the severingelement, the screw connection must be released and subsequently restoredagain with the new or replaced severing element.

Preferably, at least one further severing element can be disposed on thereplacement module, which is a severing element that acts in severingmanner with the severing element disposed on the carriage, wherein thesevering element on the carriage can be moved toward the furthersevering element by means of moving the carriage in the carriageaccommodation. Particularly with this configuration, the simplereplaceability of the severing element that is made available by thecarriage accommodation and the carriage can advantageously be utilizedalso as a movement functionality, in order to be able to advantageouslyimplement severing or removal of chip sections or chip pieces from thechip, for example in the manner of a guillotine, by moving the carriage,along with the severing element, toward the further severing element.For this purpose, the severing element and the further severing elementcan particularly be moved past one another—at a slight distance—bymoving the carriage toward the further severing element. In this regard,the advantage of replaceability and also the advantage of a comminutionpossibility that can be implemented in simple and practical manner canalso be implemented in structurally practical and compact manner.

Of course, the movability of the severing element made available by wayof the carriage and the carriage accommodation can also beadvantageously used for severing or removing chip sections or chippieces, even without the further severing element—specifically in thatthe severing element is moved to the chip by way of the carriage andsevering by the severing element is implemented by the impulsetransferred to the chip by this movement.

Preferably, the carriage and/or the carriage accommodation consist(s),at least in part, of a material having a tensile strength that lieswithin a range of 950 Newton per square millimeter (N/mm²) to 1,200Newton per square millimeter (N/mm²), preferably within a range of 1,000Newton per square millimeter (N/mm²) to 1,100 Newton per squaremillimeter (N/mm²).

If the carriage is moved in the carriage accommodation at a highspeed—for example in order to implement comminution of the chip by meansof interaction of the severing element with a further severing elementby means of moving them toward one another—the carriage and the carriageaccommodation are exposed to great material stress as a result of therelative movement. The above tensile strength values are advantageouslyprovided in order to significantly reduce or almost entirely precludethe wear that accompanies the material stress. The carriage and/or thecarriage accommodation can preferably consist, in part or entirely, of amaterial in the form of a steel material or quenched and tempered steel.The quenched and tempered steel can particularly preferably be thequenched and tempered steel 51CrV4. The quenched and tempered steel51CrV4 can be quenched and tempered by means of suitable quenching andtempering techniques, to a tensile strength within the above ranges,particularly to a tensile strength of 1,300 Newton per square millimeter(N/mm²).

A method for discharge and comminution of a chip guides the chip in aguide channel along a chip path to a comminution apparatus, with whichthe chip is comminuted. In this method, the guide channel is serviced byway of a maintenance opening that is provided in addition to a channelinlet and a channel outlet, after discharge and comminution of a chiphaving a predetermined chip length, in order to minimize the maintenanceeffort that accompanies discharge and comminution of a chip. This methodbrings about the result, for example, that possible chip residues can beremoved not exclusively through the channel inlet or through the channeloutlet, but rather supplementally or exclusively through the maintenanceopening.

As has already been explained above, the maintenance effort thataccompanies discharge and comminution of a chip can be minimized byproviding the maintenance opening. In the method, it is provided toundertake the maintenance of the apparatus being used, in each instance,after discharge and comminution of a chip having a predetermined chiplength, wherein the predetermined chip length can particularlyadvantageously be a chip length based on empirical values, which, ifexceeded, often results in impairments, for example due to clogging inthe guide channel, so that when the predetermined chip length has beenreached, maintenance should be performed by way of the maintenanceopening.

On the basis of what has been explained above, the method for dischargeand comminution of a chip particularly also represents a suitablemeasure of process technology for minimizing the maintenance effort thataccompanies discharge and comminution of a chip.

It is understood that the characteristics of the solutions describedabove and in the claims can also be combined, if applicable, in order tobe able to implement the advantages cumulatively, accordingly.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Other objects and features of the invention will become apparent fromthe following detailed description considered in connection with theaccompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that thedrawings are designed as an illustration only and not as a definition ofthe limits of the invention.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 shows schematically, a three-dimensional representation of anexemplary embodiment of an apparatus for discharge and comminution of achip;

FIG. 2 is a schematic exploded representation of the exemplaryembodiment according to FIG. 1; together with an attachment element forattaching the apparatus to an outer burr remover;

FIGS. 3A-3C show schematically, in each instance, partially sectionalthree-dimensional representations of the exemplary embodiment accordingto FIG. 1;

FIGS. 4A-4B shows schematically, in each instance, a three dimensionalrepresentation of the replacement module of the exemplary embodimentaccording to FIG. 1;

FIG. 4C is a schematic three-dimensional exploded representation of thereplacement module of the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 is a schematic three-dimensional representation of the exemplaryembodiment according to FIG. 1, together with an attachment element forattaching the apparatus to an outer burr remover and to a protectivecover; and

FIG. 6 is a schematic three-dimensional representation of the exemplaryembodiment according to FIG. 1, together with a schematicthree-dimensional representation of an outer burr remover, to which theapparatus according to the exemplary embodiment according to FIG. 1 isattached.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The apparatus 10 for discharge and comminution of a chip (notillustrated in the figures, aside from FIG. 6—there chip 12), shownschematically in FIG. 1, comprises a chip guide 14 and a comminutionapparatus 16, to which the chip guide 14 guides the chip along a chippath.

The chip guide 14—in the closed state of a flap 28 as a covering—has aguide channel 20 that circumferentially surrounds the chip path, havinga channel inlet 22 and a channel outlet 24 (see also FIGS. 3B and 3C).

The apparatus 10 for discharge and comminution of a chip is provided fordischarge and comminution of a chip 12 in the form or an outer chip orouter burr (see FIG. 6), which is formed when a pipe 86 is weldedtogether in a pipe welding system (not illustrated). For this purpose,the apparatus 10 is lowered into the welded pipe 86 in the moving stateof the welded pipe, wherein the chip 12, which has been scraped off bymeans of a scraping tool 88, is guided to the guide channel 20 by way ofthe channel inlet 22 of the guide channel 20. The chip guide 14 or theguide channel 20 then guide the chip 12 along a chip path to thecomminution apparatus 16, by way of the channel outlet 24.

After exiting from the chip guide 14 by way of the channel outlet 24,which cannot be recognized in FIG. 1 but can be recognized in FIGS. 3Band 3C, comminution of the chip by means of the comminution apparatus 16takes place.

The guide channel 20 has a maintenance opening 26 in addition to thechannel inlet 22 and the channel outlet 24. The maintenance effort thataccompanies discharge and comminution of a chip can be clearly reduced,by way of the maintenance opening 26, in that when a guide channel 20 isclogged up by a chip, for example, the channel is accessible by way ofthe maintenance opening 26, in simple and practical manner. It istherefore advantageously possible to do without maintenance that wouldhave to be performed, in complicated manner, by way of the channel inlet22 and/or the channel outlet 24, without provision of the maintenanceopening 26.

In order to ensure effective guidance by means of the chip guide 14 whena chip is discharged, and also in order to improve work safety, themaintenance opening 26 can be closed off by way of the flap 28 (see, inparticular, FIG. 1), wherein the flap 28, in the closed state, completesthe guide channel 20 to form a guide channel 20 that circumferentiallysurrounds the chip path. The flap 28 is accommodated in articulatedmanner, to implement closability.

The maintenance opening 26 extends over the entire length of the guidechannel 20, thereby making it possible to minimize the maintenanceeffort to a high degree, as a result of the accompanying improvedaccessibility.

The guide channel 20 furthermore has a wall 30 composed of atemperature-resistant and/or wear-resistant material having a surfacehardness of more than HV 650.

The comminution apparatus 16 has a replacement module 32, the structureof which is illustrated in greater detail in FIGS. 4A to 4C. Severingelements 34 and 35 are disposed on the replacement module 32. Thereplacement module 32 has a carriage accommodation 36 and a carriage 38that is disposed to move in the carriage accomodation. A severingelement 34 is disposed in fixed manner on the carriage 38 of thereplacement module 32, which carriage can be moved out of the carriageaccommodation 36 (see FIG. 4B).

Two further severing elements 35 are disposed in fixed manner on a toolholder 46 of the replacement module 32—the severing element 34 is alsodisposed on the carriage 38 in fixed manner by means of screwconnections (see FIG. 4C).

Each of the two further severing elements 35 is a severing element 35that acts in severing manner with a severing element 34 disposed on thecarriage 38. The severing element 34 on the carriage 38 can be movedtoward the further severing element 35 by means of moving the carriage38 in the carriage accommodation 36. This movability allows severing ofchip pieces or chip sections that enter into or penetrate the elongatedrecess 60 provided on the tool holder 46, coming from the channel outlet24, specifically in that the severing element 34 on the carriage 38 isguided past the further severing elements 35, at a slight distance fromthem, by being moved toward them (see also, in this regard, FIGS. 3B and3C, in which the process of being guided past the elements isillustrated in greater detail schematically). The carriage 38 canthereby implement very effective comminution of the chip, by means ofsevering chip pieces or chip sections, in the manner of a guillotine,wherein very operationally reliable or very effective severing of chipsections is advantageously implemented by means of severing processesthat follow one another, in terms of time, by means of providing the twofurther severing elements 35 disposed to follow one another in themovement direction of the carriage 38.

The carriage 38 is provided with two guide rails 70 that lie oppositeone another and can be accommodated so as to move in the longitudinaldirection in guides 72 provided on the carriage accommodation 36. Thecarriage accommodation 36, in turn, is firmly affixed to the tool holder46 by way of screw connections.

The severing elements 34, 35 are represented only very schematically inthe figures and are configured, in a concrete embodiment in thisexemplary embodiment, in the form of a blade, in each instance, so thatthe severing element 34 provided on the carriage 38 represents a blade,and the two further severing element 35, which are provided on the toolholder 46, represent the counter-blades. After a certain period of use,the severing elements 34, 35 become blunt and must be replaced with newsevering elements 34, 35 that are capable of functioning.

To replace the severing element 34, the carriage 38 can be moved out ofthe carriage accommodation 36 in simple and practical manner, asillustrated in FIG. 4B; subsequently, the severing element 34 can beremoved from the carriage 38 by loosening the screw connections, andfinally, a new severing element 34, which is capable of functioning andhas the same construction, can be firmly affixed to the carriage 38 onceagain, by restoring the screw connections (see, in this regard, FIG.4C). Analogously, accessibility to the tool holder 46, which is requiredto replace the further severing elements 35, can also be made availableby moving the carriage 38 out of the carriage accommodation 36. Thefurther severing elements 35, which are exposed in this manner, can thenbe separated from the tool holder 46 by loosening the screw connectionsprovided, and replaced with new severing elements 35, which are capableof functioning and have the same construction, which elements in turncan be firmly disposed on the tool holder 46 by restoring the screwconnections.

After the tool replacement has been performed in the manner describedabove, the replacement module 32 can then be affixed to the apparatus 10again (see FIG. 1).

As has already been explained above, the movable placement of thecarriage 38 in the carriage accommodation 36 also serves for comminutionof the chip, wherein a piston/cylinder unit 42 (see FIG. 1, for example)is provided to comminute the chip, for this purpose, which unit has apiston 62 and a cylinder 64.

The piston 62 is provided with a circumferential recess 66, in order toimplement a shape-fit connection with the carriage 38, into which recessa corresponding formed-on part 68 provided on the carriage 38 can engagein order to produce the shape fit (see also FIGS. 3B and 4B).

A movement of the piston 62 of the piston/cylinder unit 42 can thenadvantageously be converted into a corresponding translational movementof the carriage 38 in the carriage accommodation 36 by way of theshape-fit connection described above, in order to implement comminutionof the chip by means of severing of chip sections or chip pieces, asexplained above.

In order to improve the guidance of the piston 62 or of its piston rod,a guide bushing 54 is provided in a holder 52 of the apparatus 10, whichbushing in turn is provided with a guide ring 56 and a stripper 58. Thepiston 62 can be cleaned of impurities by way of the stripper 58, andthe guide ring 56 is advantageously provided for making availableadditional or stabilizing guidance.

By means of providing the comminution apparatus 16, it is possible to dowithout the use of a known notching roller, in particularly advantageousmanner. With a known notching roller, notches that serve as plannedbreaking locations are introduced into the chip. The chip is thenscraped off after the notching roller and breaks at the notches. The useof a known notching roller brings with it the disadvantage that when thenotches are produced, very precise attention needs to be paid to thenotch depth. If the notches are not deep enough, the chip does not breakat every notch and grows in length. Long chips, however, are extremelydangerous and must be avoided. On the other hand, if the notching rolleris set too deep, the chip breaks at every notch, so that markings remainon the pipe surface, which can lead to a reduction in surface quality.All of these disadvantages connected with the use of a notching rollerare advantageously avoided by the use of the comminution apparatus 16.

In order to be able to dissipate the heat that occurs due to frictionduring movement of the carriage 38 in the carriage accommodation 36, toprevent disadvantageous overheating, the replacement module 32, inparticular, can advantageously be cooled with an emulsion during ongoingoperation. The use of an emulsion brings with it the advantage that bothcooling and lubrication can take place in the regions or at thelocations where friction occurs—in other words particularly the regionbetween the carriage 38 and the carriage accommodation 36 or the regionbetween the guide rails 70 and the guide 72.

The replacement module 32 can be removed from the apparatus 10 in simpleand practical manner, as a replacement module (see FIG. 1, for example),and can also be affixed to the apparatus 10, specifically in a mannerdescribed below, using FIGS. 3A to 3C.

The replacement module 32 has two hook-shaped formed-on parts 74 thatlie opposite one another, which can engage into straight-line grooves 76provided on the holder 52 (see FIG. 3A, for example). In thisconnection, complete accommodation of the hook-shaped formed-on parts 74in the grooves 76 can be prevented by way of two threaded pins 90,because the replacement module 32, which is guided on the apparatus 10parallel to the longitudinal direction of the replacement module 32, canbe hindered in its movability in the guidance direction by way of thethreaded pins 90 as a stop. In this connection, FIG. 3A illustrates thesituation in which the two hook-shaped formed-on parts 74 are entirelyaccommodated in the grooves 76 by means of being correspondingly pushedup or displaced. The threaded pins 90 have been correspondingly loosenedor unscrewed. In this state, the replacement module 32 can then bereleased from the apparatus 10 as a whole in that the hook-shapedformed-on parts 74 are pulled out of the grooves 76 (see, in particular,FIG. 3C). When the replacement module 32 is pulled out, the carriage 38will move downward in the carriage accommodation 36 under the effect ofgravity, as the result of being released from the shape-fitaccommodation on the piston 62 (see also the above explanations).

Furthermore (see FIGS. 2 and 5), a piston/cylinder unit 40 fortranslational movement of the entire apparatus 10 in a verticaldirection is firmly affixed to the apparatus 10 for discharge andcomminution of a chip. In this connection, the piston 80 of thepiston/cylinder unit 40 is provided with a depression (not shown in anydetail) that extends in the longitudinal direction of the piston 80, inwhich depression a rod 78 formed onto an attachment element 44 can beaccommodated (see FIG. 2), to attach or affix the piston 80 to theattachment element 44.

Translational and vertical movement of the entire apparatus 10 fordischarge and comminution of a chip, relative to the attachment element44, can be implemented by means of operation of the piston/cylinder unit40—see also FIG. 5, which also illustrates that in this exemplaryembodiment, a protective cover 48 is provided, in order to effectivelyprevent personnel or machine operators to reach into the hazard locationin the surroundings of the comminution device 16, in particular,accompanied by an advantageous increase in work protection.

The attachment means 44 as such is provided for attaching the apparatus10, along with the piston/cylinder unit 40, to an outer burr remover 82(see FIG. 6). The outer burr remover 82 is provided for scraping off achip 12 in the form of an outer chip or outer welding chip that formsduring welding of the pipe 86 in the longitudinal direction of the same,in a pipe welding system. In this connection, a scraping tool 88 isprovided on a deburring unit 84 for scraping, which tool is lowered ontothe pipe in the moving state of the pipe 86, specifically by means ofcorresponding lowering of the deburring unit 84. The chip 12 that occursduring deburring or scraping is then guided to the apparatus 10 by wayof the channel inlet 22 of the chip guide 14 (see FIG. 1, for example),wherein the chip guide 14 guides the chip 12 to the comminutionapparatus 16, as has also been explained above. In order to alsoimplement lowering of the apparatus 10 in the vertical direction, towardthe pipe 86, the piston/cylinder unit 40 is provided—as has already beenexplained above—which is attached to the deburring unit 84 of the outerburr remover 82 by way of the attachment element 44.

As is best illustrated using FIG. 2, the holder 52 represents a centralelement on which all the components of the apparatus 10 and furtherelements can be attached. In this connection, the holder 52 itself isconfigured in the form of a one-piece body. By providing the centralholder 52, the number of screw connections can be advantageouslyminimized. This arrangement is particularly advantageous due to thecircumstance that the vibrations that occur while the chip 12 is scrapedoff can lead to loosening of the screws, and for this reason it isadvantageous to reduce the number of screw connections to a minimum. Thepiston/cylinder unit 40 is also attached to the holder 52.

In a method for discharge and comminution of a chip 12 using anapparatus 10, the chip 12 is guided in the guide channel 20, along achip path, to the comminution apparatus 16 with which the chip 12 iscomminuted, wherein the guide channel 20 can be serviced after dischargeand comminution of the chip having a predetermined chip length, by wayof the maintenance opening 26, which is provided in addition to thechannel inlet 22 and the channel outlet 24 of the guide channel 20.

Although only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shownand described, it is to be understood that many changes andmodifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spiritand scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus for discharge and comminution of achip comprising: (a) a comminution apparatus; (b) a chip path; and (c) achip guide guiding the chip along the chip path, said chip guidecomprising a guide channel circumferentially surrounding the chip path,said guide channel having a channel inlet, a channel outlet, and amaintenance opening.
 2. The apparatus according to claim 1, furthercomprising a covering for closing off the maintenance opening.
 3. Theapparatus according to claim 2, wherein the covering comprises a flap.4. The apparatus according to claim 2, the covering completes the guidechannel in a closed state to form the guide channel thatcircumferentially surrounds the chip path.
 5. The apparatus according toclaim 1, wherein the guide channel has a length and the maintenanceopening extends entirely over the length of the guide channel.
 6. Theapparatus according to claim 1, wherein the guide channel comprises awall composed of at least one of a temperature-resistant material and awear-resistant material.
 7. An apparatus for discharge and comminutionof a chip comprising: (a) a replacement module; (b) a comminutionapparatus comprising a first severing element disposed on thereplacement module; (c) a chip path; and (d) a chip guide guiding thechip along the chip path, said chip guide comprising a guide channelcircumferentially surrounding the chip path, said guide channel having achannel inlet and a channel outlet.
 8. The apparatus according to claim7, wherein the comminution apparatus further comprises a second severingelement disposed on the replacement module, wherein the first and secondsevering elements act in severing manner with one another.
 9. Theapparatus according to claim 7, wherein the first severing element isdisposed on a carriage disposed so as to move in a carriageaccommodation, and wherein the carriage is movable out of the carriageaccommodation.
 10. The apparatus according to claim 9, furthercomprising a second severing element disposed on the replacement moduleand acting in severing manner with the first severing element disposedon the carriage, wherein the first severing element on the carriage ismovable toward the second severing element by moving the carriage in thecarriage accommodation.
 11. The apparatus according claim 7, wherein atleast one of the carriage and the carriage accommodation comprises, atleast in part, a material having a tensile strength that lies within arange of 950 Newton per square millimeter (N/mm²) to 1,200 Newton persquare millimeter (N/mm²).
 12. The apparatus according to claim 11,wherein the tensile strength lies within a range of 1,000 Newton persquare millimeter (N/mm²) to 1,100 Newton per square millimeter (N/mm²).13. A method for discharge and comminution of a chip having apredetermined chip length comprising: (a) guiding the chip in a guidechannel along a chip path to a comminution apparatus; (b) comminutingthe chip in the comminution apparatus; wherein the guide channelcomprises a channel inlet, a channel outlet and a maintenance opening;and wherein the guide channel is serviced by way of the maintenanceopening after discharge and comminution of the chip.